NDA Medical Standards 2026: Height, Weight, Vision & Full Test List

NDA has three wings — pick the right standard

NDA candidates choose one of three wings at application: Army (NDA), Naval (NA), or Air Force (Flying / Ground Duty). Each wing has its own medical standards — vision, anthropometry and some other criteria are strictest for the Air Force Flying branch. Match your wing choice to your medical profile.

Below, every section flags where the standard differs by wing so you can spot your exact rule fast.

The medical board process — SMB, AMB, RMB

NDA medical examination is governed by Appendix IV of the NDA notification (paras 4–6) and the DGMS (Army) standards. The board is held only after you are SSB-recommended; the SSB recommendation itself does not depend on the medical examination.

1. Report to Armed Forces Medical Services Hospital near your SSB centre with identification documents. The Staff Surgeon identifies you and guides you through Form AFMSF-2 / AFMSF-2A.
2. Specialist examinations — General Medicine, Surgery, Ophthalmology, ENT, Dental, and (for women) Gynaecology. Mandatory tests include CBC, urine RE/ME, X-ray chest PA, X-ray L-S spine, USG abdomen & pelvis, ECG, LFT, RFT, fasting + post-prandial glucose, lipid profile and Hb electrophoresis. Air Wing adds cervical and dorsal spine X-rays.
3. Special Medical Board (SMB) reviews specialist findings and declares Fit or Unfit.
4. Unfit at SMB? You may file for an Appeal Medical Board (AMB) within the timeline intimated by the President SMB. AMB is held at a Command Hospital within roughly 42 days.
5. Unfit at AMB? You may further request a Review Medical Board (RMB) within one day of the AMB result. RMB is granted at DGAFMS's discretion on merit — it is not a matter of right. RMB venues: Delhi or Pune.
6. Confidentiality: Board proceedings are confidential; only the fit/unfit outcome and (if applicable) the medical category is communicated to you.

Height & weight — minimums, relaxations and the chart

Minimum height (all wings)

Regional & growth relaxations

Apply to all wings except Air Force Flying:

Candidates below 18 years at the time of examination receive an additional 2 cm growth allowance (both male and female).

Flying-branch ejection-seat anthropometry

Beyond minimum height, the Flying branch verifies you fit safely inside the ejection-seat envelope:

Chest size

• Minimum chest circumference: 77 cm (NDA Air Wing & all officer entries)
• Minimum chest expansion: 5 cm
• Recording rule: fractions below 0.5 cm ignored; 0.5 = 0.5; 0.6 cm and above rounded up.

Weight for height (Army chart, abbreviated)

Weight above the chart maximum

Weights above the maximum are acceptable only for candidates with documented evidence of body-building, wrestling or boxing at the National level, and only if all of the following are met:

• BMI below 25 (Army & Navy); below 27 (Air Force)
• Waist-Hip Ratio below 0.9 (male) / 0.8 (female)
• Waist circumference below 90 cm M / 80 cm F for Army (94 / 89 for Air Force)
• All biochemical metabolic parameters within normal limits

Vision standards — the single biggest difference between wings

This is the section that disqualifies the largest number of NDA aspirants. Match your refraction to a wing before you apply — the choice you make on the form is permanent for that cycle.

4.1 NDA Army wing

4.2 NDA Naval wing (NA)

4.3 NDA Air Wing & AFA Flying (the strictest)

4.4 Common visual disqualifications (all wings)

Permanently unfit:

• Keratoconus, optic nerve drusen, heterochromia iridum, exotropia, manifest squint
• Pseudophakia (post-cataract IOL implants) — unfit for Air Force; unfit for most entries
• Nystagmus (other than physiological)
• Active or recurrent uveitis with permanent lesions
• Night blindness (Certificate per Appendix D required from all flying candidates)
• Anisocoria — pupil size difference > 1 mm
• High Cup-Disc Ratio with inter-eye asymmetry > 0.2, RNFL defect, or visual field defect
• Radial Keratotomy (RK) — permanently unfit for all branches

Lattice degeneration of retina — unfit if extending > 2 clock hours, two lattices > 1 clock hour each, radial lattices, with atrophic hole / flap tear, or posterior to equator.

LASIK / kerato-refractive surgery policy

NDA Air Wing & AFA Flying accept PRK, LASIK, Femto LASIK and SMILE only if all of these are met:

1. Pre-operative refractive error not more than ±6.0 D
2. Surgery not done before age 20
3. Minimum 12 months elapsed post-surgery, uncomplicated
4. Residual refraction ≤ ±1.0 D Sph or Cyl (NIL residual for Pilot / Observer entries)
5. Axial length by IOL Master ≤ 26 mm
6. Central corneal thickness by Pachymeter ≥ 450 microns
7. Normal healthy retina
8. Corneal topography and ectasia markers may be additional criteria

• NDA Army: LASIK is not permitted (DGMS Aug 2019 vision table, page 7).
• NDA Navy: Permitted with conditions similar to Air Force; not acceptable for submariners, divers or MARCO entries. Residual refraction must be nil for Pilot / Observer entries.
• Radial Keratotomy (RK): permanently unfit for all NDA branches.

ENT & hearing

Hearing

• Must hear a forced whisper at 610 cm with each ear separately, back to examiner.
• On Pure Tone Audiometry: audiometric loss > 20 dB in 250–8000 Hz is unfit.
• Isolated unilateral hearing loss up to 30 dB may be condoned on ENT recommendation if the rest of the examination is normal.

Ear — disqualifying

• Active otitis media (any type)
• Healed chronic otitis media affecting > 50% of pars tensa
• Tympanoplasty / Myringoplasty for chronic otitis media — permanently unfit
• Stapedectomy, ossiculoplasty, canal-wall-down mastoidectomy
• Cochlear implants, bone-anchored hearing aids
• Otosclerosis, Meniere's disease, persistent tinnitus, motion sickness, chronic otitis externa
• Bony growth of external auditory canal — unfit unless successfully operated with HRCT & histopathology clear

Nose & sinuses

• Deviated Nasal Septum (DNS) — unfit if obstructing free breathing; post-corrective surgery with mild residual deviation and adequate airway is acceptable. DNS is one of the commonest minor defects — get it operated before the medical board if obstructive.
• Septal perforation > 1 cm — unfit; smaller perforations with deformity / crusting / epistaxis — unfit
• Nasal polyposis, allergic / vasomotor rhinitis, atrophic rhinitis — unfit

Throat

• Tonsillitis — unfit. Post-tonsillectomy candidates accepted minimum 2 weeks post-op with benign histology.
• Cleft palate (even after surgical correction) — unfit
• Chronic laryngitis, vocal cord palsy, laryngeal polyps — unfit
• Pronounced stammer / speech impediment — unfit (mild stammering not affecting expression may be acceptable for Navy entry per Annexure B para 21(c))

Dental standards — the 14-point rule

Minimum 14 dental points required. Point allocation:

• Central incisor, lateral incisor, canine, 1st & 2nd premolars, underdeveloped 3rd molar: 1 point each
• 1st molar, 2nd molar, fully-developed 3rd molar: 2 points each
• All 32 teeth present: total 22 points (or 20 if 3rd molars are underdeveloped)

The following must be in good functional apposition in each jaw: any 4 of 6 anteriors, any 6 of 10 posteriors. All teeth counted must be sound or repairable.

Disqualifying dental conditions

• More than 2 loose teeth
• Severe pyorrhoea (mild cases curable without extraction may be accepted)
• Severe malocclusion affecting mastication, phonetics, oral hygiene
• Mouth opening < 30 mm at incisal edges
• Symptomatic TMJ clicking, tenderness or dislocation on wide opening
• Cleft palate, submucous fibrosis
• Leukoplakia, erythroplakia, ankyloglossia, oral carcinoma
• Trismus from any cause
• Wearing fixed or removable orthodontic appliances (lingual retainers acceptable)
• Cosmetic or post-traumatic maxillofacial surgery / trauma — UNFIT for at least 24 weeks from date of surgery / injury
• Maximum 2 dental implants permitted

Removable dental prostheses are not counted for dental points (except for ex-servicemen).

Cardiovascular system — heart, BP & ECG

Pulse and blood pressure

• Pulse range: 60–100 bpm normal. Persistent tachycardia or bradycardia — unfit unless cardiologist clears as physiological. (Air Force: bradycardia threshold < 60 bpm; Navy: < 40 bpm.)
• BP: persistently > 140 / 90 mmHg → rejected. Mandatory 24-hour Ambulatory BP Monitoring to differentiate white-coat from persistent hypertension. Normal 24-h ABPM with no target-organ damage may be cleared by cardiologist.

ECG & echocardiography

• Any ECG abnormality at SMB is a ground for rejection — but benign findings (incomplete RBBB, T-wave inversion in inferior leads, persistent juvenile pattern V1–V3, LVH by voltage in thin chest wall) are assessed with echo and stress test.
• Diastolic murmurs — invariably organic — unfit.
• Short systolic ejection murmurs without thrill, diminishing on standing, with normal ECG / X-ray — usually functional; refer to cardiologist.

Cardiac surgery / congenital

History of any cardiac surgery or intervention → unfit. All congenital cardiac anomalies → unfit.

Respiratory system

• History of chronic cough, bronchial asthma, allergic rhinitis, frequent bronchitis, repeated wheezing — unfit.
• Bronchial asthma with repeated attacks — unfit (Annexure B para 20, AFCAT para 19(e)).
• Pulmonary tuberculosis — any residual scarring on chest radiograph — unfit. Old treated cases (treatment completed > 2 years prior, no significant residual) may be accepted only after CT, fibreoptic bronchoscopy with lavage, ESR, PCR, immunological tests and Mantoux — final decision at AMB / RMB.
• Pleurisy with effusion and significant residual pleural thickening — unfit.
• Major lung resection — unfit; other thoracic surgery — case-by-case.

Gastrointestinal & abdominal

Disqualifying conditions

• Any disease of liver, pancreas, congenital or hereditary GI disorders
• Past extensive abdominal surgery / partial or total excision of organ (other than vestigial / gall bladder)
• Hernia (any abdominal wall) — unfit. Post-op acceptable after 24 weeks (open) / 6 months (laparoscopic) with no recurrence.
• Viral hepatitis or jaundice — rejected. Fit after 6 months of full clinical recovery, HBV/HCV negative, normal LFT.
• Disease of spleen — partial / total splenectomy — unfit
• Gilbert's syndrome — may be FIT with genetic confirmation, total bilirubin < 3 mg/dL, normal LFT/PT/INR/albumin, normal ultrasound and FibroScan

Post-operative fitness — recovery timelines

Anorectal — disqualifying

• Rectal prolapse (even after surgical correction)
• Active anal fissure / external skin tags
• Haemorrhoids (external or internal)
• Anal fistula, anal or rectal polyp, anal stricture, faecal incontinence

Genito-urinary system

• Bilateral undescended testis (UDT) — unfit. Unilateral UDT — unfit unless surgically corrected (fit ≥ 4 weeks post-op).
• Hydrocele / Varicocele (any grade) — unfit. Post-op acceptable after 8 weeks.
• Hypospadias / Epispadias — unfit (except glanular variety). Post-op ≥ 8 weeks acceptable.
• Phimosis interfering with hygiene / voiding or with Balanitis Xerotica Obliterans — unfit. Post-op fit ≥ 4 weeks.
• Renal calculi — irrespective of size, number, history or radiological evidence → unfit.
• Solitary kidney, horseshoe kidney, malrotation, ectopic kidney, polycystic disease, hydronephrosis, nephrectomy → unfit.
• Simple renal cyst > 1.5 cm → unfit; solitary unilateral simple cyst ≤ 1.5 cm with thin smooth wall → fit.
• HIV seropositive / evidence of STD → unfit. Bilateral atrophied testis → unfit.
• Proteinuria → rejected (unless orthostatic). Glycosuria → blood sugar & HbA1c done; renal glycosuria is not a cause for rejection.
• Persistent urinary infection → rejected. Haematuria → full renal investigation required.

Musculoskeletal — knock knees, flat feet, bow legs, fractures

This is where most of the "Can I join Army with X?" search queries live. Use this table to check the threshold for your condition.

Lower limbs — disqualifying thresholds

Spine

Unfit: wedge / hemivertebra, anterior central defect, cervical ribs with neuro/circulatory deficit, spina bifida (except sacrum / fully-sacralised LV5), scoliosis (lumbar > 15°, thoracic > 20°, thoraco-lumbar > 20°), atlanto-occipital / atlanto-axial anomalies, block vertebra at > 1 level, spondylolysis, spondylolisthesis, compression fractures, IVD prolapse, Schmorl's nodes at > 1 level, TB spine, infective spondylitis, ankylosing spondylitis, spondylosis, osteoarthritis, Scheuermann's disease.

Acceptable: idiopathic scoliosis ≤ 10° lumbar / ≤ 15° dorsal, if asymptomatic with no trauma history, no chest asymmetry, no neurological deficit, no congenital anomaly, normal ECG, full ROM.

Upper limbs, fingers & wrist

• Amputation of limb — not accepted. Amputation of terminal phalanx of little finger (both sides) is acceptable.
• Hyperextensible finger joints — extension beyond 90° → unfit. Knee, elbow, spine, thumb also checked for hyper-laxity.
• Mallet finger — mild (< 10° extension lag) → fit. Fixed deformity → unfit.
• Polydactyly / Simple syndactyly — fit 12 weeks post-op with no bony abnormality. Complex syndactyly → unfit.
• Cubitus varus > 5° → unfit. Cubitus recurvatum > 10° → unfit. Hyperextension at elbow > 10° → unfit.
• Recurrent shoulder dislocation (with or without surgery) → unfit.
• Clavicle non-union of old fracture → rejected (mal-united without functional loss acceptable).

Healed fractures

• All intra-articular fractures of major joints (shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee, ankle) with or without surgery / implant → unfit.
• Extra-articular fractures with post-op implant in-situ → unfit until 12 weeks after implant removal.
• Extra-articular long-bone injuries conservatively managed: 9 months minimum post-injury before fitness evaluation, with no mal-alignment, no neurovascular deficit, no soft tissue loss, no functional deficit, no osteomyelitis.
• Upper limb fracture 6 months post-injury without sequelae → acceptable after orthopaedic assessment.

Peripheral vascular & lymphatic

• Active varicose veins → unfit. Post-op cases also remain unfit.
• Aneurysms, arteritis, peripheral arterial disease → unfit.
• Lymphoedema history → unfit.

Central nervous system & psychiatry

• History of mental illness or psychological affliction → rejection.
• Psychosis, psychoneurosis, juvenile / adult delinquency → unfit.
• Epilepsy — any history → rejection. Convulsions / fits after age 5 → rejection. Single attack of migraine with visual disturbance / migrainous epilepsy → unfit.
• Migraine severe enough to consult a doctor → rejection.
• Severe head injury → rejection. Sequelae (post-concussion syndrome, focal deficit, post-traumatic epilepsy) → rejection. Burr holes → rejection for flying duties.
• Drug dependence (any form) → rejection.
• Tremors, speech impediment, imbalance → unfit.
• Recurrent insomnia, phobias, nightmares, sleepwalking, bed-wetting → rejection.
• Repeated heat stroke / hyperpyrexia → bars Air Force duties.
• Family history of epilepsy — careful evaluation; first-degree relative epilepsy may be accepted only if candidate has no associated history and normal EEG.
• Stammering → not accepted for Air Force.

Emotional stability markers

The medical examiner notes the following as indicators of emotional instability — observed during the medical itself:

• Stammering
• Tic, nail biting
• Excessive hyperhidrosis (during examination)
• Restlessness

Skin & the "sweaty palms" question

Palmoplantar hyperhidrosis (sweaty palms / soles)

"Some amount of palmoplantar hyperhidrosis is physiological, considering the stressful situation recruits face during medical examination." — AFCAT 02/2023, para 23(c)(i).

Mild perspiration from nerves is expected and will not disqualify you. But significant, persistent palmoplantar hyperhidrosis — severe enough to interfere with grip / equipment handling, or observed during the exam as a marker of emotional instability — is a cause for rejection. Axillary hyperhydrosis is also explicitly listed in Annexure B para 12(c).

What to do if you have this: Get treated by a dermatologist well before the medical board. Options: topical aluminium chloride, iontophoresis, botulinum toxin injections in severe cases.

Skin — disqualifying conditions

• Vitiligo — extensive involvement, especially on exposed parts, unfit. Minor leukoderma on covered parts may be accepted.
• Psoriasis — chronic relapsing / recurring → unfit.
• Ichthyosis — upper / lower limb involvement with dry, scaly, fissured skin → unfit. Mild xerosis acceptable.
• Palmoplantar keratoderma of any degree → unfit.
• Acne — mild Grade I acceptable. Moderate to severe (nodulocystic, keloidal scarring, back involvement) → unfit.
• Keloid — any → unfit (large or multiple keloids are explicit grounds for rejection).
• Onychomycosis with nail dystrophy → unfit. Mild distal discolouration acceptable.
• Giant congenital melanocytic naevus > 10 cm → unfit (malignant potential).
• Multiple warts / corns / callosities on palms / soles → rejected. Single corn / wart fit 3 months post-treatment.
• Leprosy (any sign) → rejection.
• Pityriasis versicolor, fungal infection (Tinea Cruris / Corporis) of any body part → unfit.
• Eczema (chronic / frequently recurring) → permanently unfit.
• Alopecia areata — single small lesion (< 2 cm) on scalp acceptable. Multiple, scarring, or other-area involvement → rejected.
• Lipoma — fit unless causing disfigurement / functional impairment by size or location.
• Neurofibroma — single → fit; multiple with significant Café-au-lait spots (> 1.5 cm or > 1 in number) → unfit.

Birth marks & pigmentation

• Hypo- or hyper-pigmentation → not acceptable.
• Localised congenital mole / naevus → acceptable provided size < 10 cm.
• Congenital multiple naevi or vascular tumours interfering with function → not acceptable.

Tattoo policy

This is one of the most-searched NDA questions on Google. The rule is precise.

Permanent tattoos on any other part of the body are NOT acceptable and the candidate will be barred from further selection.

Tribal candidates with tattoo marks on face or body as per their existing custom and tradition will be permitted on a case-to-case basis, with the Commandant Selection Centre as the competent authority.

Female-specific examination

General procedure

• Examination conducted by a Lady Medical Officer or Lady Gynaecologist only.
• Detailed menstrual, obstetric and gynaecological history mandatory.
• Speculum / per-vaginal examination is NOT carried out in unmarried candidates.
• Ultrasound scan of abdomen and pelvis is mandatory for all female candidates.

Disqualifying female-specific conditions

• Primary or secondary amenorrhoea, severe menorrhagia, severe dysmenorrhoea
• Stress urinary incontinence
• Congenital elongation of cervix or prolapse coming outside introitus (even after corrective surgery)
• Pregnancy → cause of rejection for NDA entry.
• Complex ovarian cyst of any size; simple ovarian cyst > 6 cm
• Endometriosis and adenomyosis
• Submucous fibroid of any size; broad-ligament / cervical fibroid causing ureteric pressure
• Single fibroid uterus > 3 cm; or fibroids > 2 in number; or fibroids distorting endometrial cavity
• Congenital uterine anomalies (except arcuate uterus)
• Acute or chronic pelvic infection
• Disorders of sexual differentiation
• Significant hirsutism with male-pattern hair growth + radiological PCOS → rejection

Acceptable female conditions

• Unilocular clear ovarian cyst up to 6 cm
• Minimal fluid in Pouch of Douglas
• Arcuate uterus
• Single small fibroid uterus ≤ 3 cm without symptoms
• Congenital elongation of cervix that comes up to introitus

Want the full guide written for female aspirants? See our NDA for Girls page (opens in new tab).

Common defects to rectify before reporting

NDA Notification Appendix IV para 2 (page 29) explicitly tells candidates to rectify these minor ailments before the medical board:

1. Wax (Ears) — get cleaned
2. Deviated Nasal Septum — surgical correction if obstructing
3. Hydrocele / Phimosis — surgical correction
4. Overweight / Underweight — bring weight into chart range
5. Under-sized Chest — physical conditioning
6. Piles — treatment
7. Gynaecomastia — surgical correction (12-week recovery)
8. Tonsillitis — tonsillectomy if indicated
9. Varicocele — surgical correction (8-week recovery)

Deep-dive guides — open in a new tab

Each topic below is a dedicated guide built from the same primary sources. Tap any card to open it in a new tab so you can compare with the section you were reading.

FAQ — what aspirants actually ask

Sources & primary references

• UPSC NDA & NA (I) 2025 Notification — pages 29–67. Appendix IV (common defects, female examination, tattoos); Annexure A (Army medical standards); Annexure B (Naval medical standards); Annexure C (Air Force medical standards — Flying & Ground Duty). UPSC PDF.
• DGMS (Army) Medical Standards SN 76060/DGMS-5A, 01 August 2019 — comprehensive Army standards, vision table by entry type, height-weight chart (pages 5–7).
• AFCAT 02/2023 Notification Appendix A (general physical, system-by-system standards), Appendix B (height-weight tables for Air Force), Appendix C (visual standards by branch / medical category). Used for NDA Air Wing & Flying standards (which align with IAP 4303 5th edition).
• Official portals: joinindianarmy.nic.in · joinindiannavy.gov.in · careerindianairforce.cdac.in
• Photo credits: Hero — NDA Passing Out Parade, Srijithpv / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0. Campus — SUDAN Block, NDA Khadakwasla, Sourabh.scd / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

This guide is a structured summary of publicly available official medical standards from the documents listed above. The decision of the Special Medical Board is final. Borderline cases must be assessed by Armed Forces medical specialists. Numbers (refractive limits, recovery periods, BP thresholds) may be revised in future notifications — always cross-check against the current cycle's notification before finalising any decision.